A new ferry linking Liverpool with the Isle of Man is set to cost around £120m and is likely to come into service by 2030, replacing the current Manannan fast craft. Tony McDonough reports

Fast craft Manannan has been transporting passengers between Liverpool and the Isle of Man for 17 years but it is now coming to the end of its life.

Plans have now been revealed for a new vessel to take its place and this may also lead to more sailings taking place in the winter months between the Mersey and Douglas. This new ferry is likely to cost around £120m and be in service in 2030.

Currently, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, owned by the Manx government, runs Manannan between Liverpool and the island’s capital Douglas between March and October. In the busiest periods Manannan operates seven days a week, twice a day.

In the winter months Manannan is rested and sailings between Liverpool and the Isle of Man take place on Saturdays and Sundays only by the Manxman vessel.

Manxman itself is a relatively new ship, having only come into service in 2023 after being built at a cost of £78m. The Isle of Man Government has also invested £70m into a new terminal at Liverpool and wants to utilise the facility all-year round.

Steam Packet managing director Brian Thomson said it was the firm’s “mission to ensure long-term reliability, year-round connectivity, sustainability and a modern fleet that supports the island’s future needs”.

Manannan is a catamaran that was originally used by the US military and was bought by Steam Packet in 2009 for £20m. Its replacement may be a more conventional vessel, like Manxman.

The company said the new vessel would “not be a direct replacement on a like-for-like basis”. A spokesman said it was part of the company’s “long-term investment programme” to improve reliability and future-proof the service.

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Isle of Man Steam Packet carries more than 600,000 passengers a year across the Irish Sea connecting the island with both Liverpool and Heysham in Lancashire. Although the company does not break down the figures the Liverpool route likely accounts for just under 50%.

The ferries are particularly popular during the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races which take place in either May or June. In 2025 almost 40,000 people used the ferries to get to the event.